Container with lid

ABSTRACT

A container includes a base and a plurality of walls extending upward therefrom. At least one lid is pivotably connected to one of the walls. The lid includes at least one projection from an upper surface thereof, which contacts at least one rib on an exterior surface of the wall to prevent over-rotation of the lid. In another feature, the lid includes a projection from an interior surface, which pivots the lid to a position not parallel to a support surface when the container is inverted and placed on a support surface with the lid open.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to containers, and moreparticularly to containers with attached lids.

Containers with attached lids are used for many purposes. Thesecontainers generally include a pair of opposing side walls and a pair ofopposing end walls integrally molded with a base. A pair of lids areeach hingeably connected to one of the side walls. The lids include aplurality of tongues that interlock in the middle of the container inthe closed position.

One use for this type of containers is for medical waste. Medical wasteis placed in the container, which is then closed and shipped to abiohazard facility for disposal. At the facility, the contents of thecontainer are dumped into an autoclave for disposal. During dumping, oneof the lids is open and pivoted outward until it abuts its respectiveside wall. The container is then tipped, with the lid resting on a wallof the autoclave, and the container is inverted to dump the contentsinto the autoclave. This sometimes breaks the lid and/or the hingeconnecting the lid to the side wall.

After being emptied, the container must be washed prior to reuse. Inorder to wash the container, the container is inverted on a conveyorwith the lids open. In order to prevent water from accumulating on theupper surfaces of the open lids, the lids may be tied up at an angle.The container may also be tipped onto its side by another conveyor tofurther assist in the drainage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A container according to one embodiment of the present inventionincludes a base and a plurality of sidewalls. At least one lid ispivotably connected to one of the walls. The lid includes at least oneprojection that contacts at least one rib on the exterior surface of thewall when the lid is pivoted to an open position. This preventsover-rotation of the lid, such as when the lid and container are restingon the wall of the autoclave prior to dumping.

In a second feature of the present invention, the lid includes at leastone projection from an interior surface of the lid proximate the axis.When the container is inverted with the lid open for washing, the atleast one projection contacts the support surface thereby pivoting thelid to a position where it is not parallel to the floor, thus ensuringthat water drains from the lid during washing.

These and other features of the application can be best understood fromthe following specification and drawings, the following of which is abrief description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to one embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 with the lids inthe open position.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the container of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the container of FIG. 1 in an inverted positionwith the lids open on a support surface.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the hinge area of the container of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a section view through one of the side walls and one of thelids in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A container 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention isshown in FIG. 1. The container 10 includes a base 12 integrally moldedwith opposing side walls 14 and opposing end walls 16. A lip 20protrudes outwardly and downwardly from a periphery of the upper edgesof the side walls 14 and end walls 16. The side walls 14 each include apair of outer ribs 21 and inner ribs 22 extending vertically on anexterior surface of the side wall 14. The outer ribs 21 extenddownwardly from the lip 20 further than the inner ribs 22. The outerribs 21 are also a little deeper than the inner ribs 22.

The end walls 16 each include an integrally molded handle 26 defining ahand opening 28 between the handle 26 and the end walls 16. Ribs 30 areformed in the handle 26 and face upwardly.

The container 10 includes a pair of lids 34, each connected to anuppermost edge of one of the side walls 14 by a hinge 36. Each of thelids 34 includes an outer reinforcement portion 40 and an innerreinforcement portion 41. Both reinforcement portions 40, 41 areelongated in a direction generally parallel to an axis of the hinge 36.The outer reinforcement portions 40 are shorter than the innerreinforcement portions 41 in a longitudinal direction. The outerreinforcement portions 40 each include an interlocking portion 42 ateach end, projecting upwardly further than the outer reinforcementportion 40. Each lid 34 also includes a latch portion 46 for latching tothe lip 20. The lids 34 further include interleaved tongues 48, as isknown in the art.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the container 10. As can be seen in FIG. 2, thehandle 26 projects outwardly from the footprint of the container 10.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the container 10. FIG. 4 is a side view of thecontainer 10. Again, it can be seen that the handles 26 projectoutwardly of the footprint of the container 10 and outwardly of the lip20.

FIG. 5 is perspective view of the container 10 with the lids 34 open.Each of the lids 34 includes a pair of projections 50 projectingdownwardly from an interior surface of the lid 34. FIG. 6 is an enlargedview showing one of the projections 50 on the interior surface of thelid 34, proximate the hinge 36. The projections 50 are positionedproximate the hinges 36. In this particular example, the projections 50are positioned much closer to the hinge 36 than the opposite edge of thelid 34. In the example shown, the distance between the axis of the hinge36 and the projections 50 is less than a tenth of the distance betweenthe axis of the hinge 36 and an opposite edge of the lid 34.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the container 10 inverted, with the lids 34open and resting on a support surface S, which could be a floor orconveyor. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 8, in this position, theprojections 50 contact the support surface S and cause the lids 34 topivot upwardly as shown. Preferably, the container 10 is supportedsolely on the projections 50, such that the weight of the container isused to pivot the lids 34 to this drainage position. In the drainageposition, the lids 34 are approximately thirty degrees relative to thesupport surface S. Thus, without any ties, bands or hooks, the lid 34 isautomatically in pivoted to a drainage position for washing. This willprevent water from accumulating on the exterior surface of the lids 34.

FIG. 9 is a section view through one of the side walls 14 and lids 34 inthe open position. When opened all the way, as shown, the outerreinforcement portion 40 contacts the inner ribs 22 on the side wall 14,while the inner reinforcement portions 41 contact the outer ribs 21 onthe side wall 14. The outer reinforcement portions 40 do not contact theouter ribs 21, because they are too short. Thus, if the container 10were tipped and rested on the lid 34 shown in FIG. 9, the weight of thecontainer 10 would be born by the ribs 21, 22 via the lid 34, and notsolely by the hinge 36 as in the prior art.

It should be noted that variations could be utilized, including variousarrangements of the reinforcement portions 40, 41 and ribs 20, 21 butstill be within the scope of the present invention. Further, variationsto the projections on the interior surface of the lids 34 could also beutilized within the scope of this invention.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes andjurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are consideredto represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it shouldbe noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than asspecifically illustrated and described without departing from its spiritor scope.

1) A container comprising: a base; a plurality of walls extending upwardfrom the base, the plurality of walls including a first wall, the firstwall including at least one rib on an exterior surface; and a lidpivotably connected to the first wall, the lid including at least oneprojection projecting upwardly, the lid pivotable to an open positionwhere the at least one projection contacts the at least one rib toprevent over-rotation of the lid. 2) The container of claim 1 whereinthe at least one projection includes a first reinforced portion that iselongated generally parallel to an axis about which the lid is pivotablyconnected to the first wall. 3) The container of claim 2 wherein the lidis connected to the first wall by a hinge and wherein the at least oneprojection further includes a second reinforced portion. 4) Thecontainer of claim 3 wherein the second reinforced portion is betweenthe first reinforced portion and the hinge. 5) The container of claim 4wherein the second reinforced portion is elongated generally parallel tothe axis. 6) The container of claim 5 wherein the at least one ribincludes a first rib and a second rib and wherein the first reinforcedportion contacts the first rib in the open position and the secondreinforced portion contacts the second rib in the open position. 7) Thecontainer of claim 6 wherein the second reinforced portion does notcontact the first rib in the open position. 8) The container of claim 7wherein the first rib is lower on the first wall than the second rib. 9)A container comprising: a base; a plurality of walls extending upwardfrom the base, the plurality of walls including a first wall; and a lidconnected to the first wall and pivotable relative to the first wallabout an axis between an open position and a closed position, the lidincluding a at least one projection projecting from an interior surfaceof the lid proximate the axis, wherein the at least one projectionpivots the lid to a drain position not parallel to a support surfacewhen the container is placed inverted on the support surface. 10) Thecontainer of claim 9 wherein the lid is pivoted by the at least oneprojection to an angle approximately thirty degrees relative to thesupport surface when the container is placed inverted on the supportsurface. 11) The container of claim 9 wherein the at least oneprojection is positioned much closer to the axis than to an edge of thelid opposite the axis. 12) The container of claim 9 wherein the at leastone projection is positioned at a distance from the axis less thanapproximately 1/10^(th) a distance from the hinge to an edge of the lidopposite the axis. 13) The container of claim 9 wherein the lid is afirst lid, the container further including a second lid pivotablyattached to a second wall of the plurality of walls, the second wallopposite the first wall, the second lid including at least one secondprojection extending from an interior surface of the second lid, whereinthe at least one second projection pivots the second lid to a drainposition not parallel to the support surface when the container isplaced inverted on the support surface. 14) The container of claim 13wherein the container rests on the first lid and the second lid on thesupport surface when the container is in the inverted position on thesupport surface.